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North Island Compassion Club co-sponsors events

The North Island Compassion Club is co-sponsoring a number of events next week, starting with Medical Marijuana and Mandatory Minimums, a talk by Kirk Tousaw, executive director of the Beyond Prohibition Foundation.

Justice Robert Johnston ruled that people authorized to use medical marijuana in B.C. can now legally make cookies, salves, tinctures and other edible and topical medicinals, not just smoke it. Health Canada currently allows people with licences to use cannabis only in its dried form.

The talk happens Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Salish Building at the Lewis Centre.

Feb. 19, Tousaw and Ernie Yacub will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. after their court appearance at the Comox Valley courthouse.

Yacub, manager-director of the North Island Compassion Club, has been charged with "possession for the purpose of trafficking" for providing cannabis marijuana in dried, edible, and topical forms to members of the club, some of whom have Health Canada licenses and many who don't.

On Feb. 21 at noon, there will be a demonstration at MP John Duncan's office 576 England Ave. in Courtenay, as part of a nationwide protest against the changes to the medical marijuana program that would eliminate personal growing licences.

People who grow their own for under $1 a gram will be forced to buy from licensed commercial producers at $8 to 10 a gram. Most won't be able to afford it even if they can get a doctor's prescription. Some will continue to grow their own medicine despite the risk of mandatory minimum prison sentences.

At the end of the week, Ted Smith comes to Courtenay on his Hempology 101 Textbook tour on Feb. 23 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Lewis Centre meeting room.

The SensibleBC campaign to decriminalize marijuana in B.C. will be featured at each of the above events. People can also sign up at sensiblebc.ca.

— North Island Compassion Club

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